V a. 9. ,the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS. 8 he flied onus abundantly through fefîrs Chrift our Saviour, that being jufíifled by his grace, we 'horrid be made heirs according to the hope of, eternal life He freeth us_ at the Cline time a malo morali, which is fin; and a malo naturali, which is punifhment. 3, When we ejiter into the covenant of Grace, we enter into covenant With Father, Son and Holy Ghtfi. With God, and with the Redeemer, and with the Saul-rifler, Mar. 28. 19. We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghcfl, What is our Cove- nant with the Holy Ghofl? It implieth both our duty, and our benefit ; our benefit , that we expelt,is that the Holy Ghost fhould regenerate us and renew us to the lmageof God, and plant us into Chrift by faith, and then d"well in us and maintain Gods Inter-eft in our fouls, and fo make us Saints and Believers : And our duty is to confent co dive up our fèlves to him, as our Sanitifier, and to obey his.pcwerful Motions, before we ale made Partakers of the Holy Ghoit.. s 4- The neceffrty of having the Spirit, appeareth, in that without dim we can do no- thing in Chriflianity from fitft to laff. 'Tis the Spirit uniteth us to Chrift , and plant - eth us into his myftical body: r Cor. 12. 13. By one fpirit we are baptized into one body. 'Tis by the Spirit we give up our felves to God asoue God and reconciled Father in Chrift ; and to Chrift as our Redeemer, and Saviour, and fo are planted into his My . ftical body. I Cor. 6. 17. But he that isjoyned to the. Lord is one f irit. As a Man and a Harlot are one flefh, fo we are one Spirit. 'The union is Spiritual for kind, and the Spirit is the author of it. So for further Santtifications and Coulolation, and Morti- fication; take it either for the purging out tufts, or fupprcffingthe aEts of fin. For the purging out of Tufts , I Pet. r. 22. Seeing ye have purified your foelsin obeying the truth, through the Spirit. Pride, worldlinefs, and Senfuality, there are purged out more and more, by the Spirit. Or fuppreßng the oar of fin : Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the fpirit do mortifte the deeds of the body. So for vivificatiolr, he infufeth Life, and quickneth and maintaineth it in our Souls : Cal. 5.25. If we live in the fpirit, let us alfo wall¿ in the fpirit. Strengthningit; Eph. 3. 16. That he would grant according to the riches of his grace to be ftrengthned with might, by bis Spirit. He maketh it fruitful, and exciteth it: Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my fpirit into you, and caul you to walk in .ny ways. For Confclatìon, to up. hold our hearts in the midit of all trials and difficulties ; then we mvy go on cheer- fully, and in a courfe of holinefs. Alts 9. 13. They walked in the fear of God, and Ile comforts of the Holy ghofl. To comfort us with the fenfe,ofGods'love in all our tribula- tions. Rom. 5. 5. Becaufe the love of God is flied abroad in our hearts, by the Holy shaft , which is given unto us. To wait for Eternal life. Gal. 5. 5. But we through the fpirit do wait lot the hope of righteoufnefs by Faith. That is, which is built ueon it. 2. This fpirit is the evidence of mens being true Chrifîian , the only Cure and proper Evi- dence: this will appear, 1. By the Metaphors and terms by which the Spirit is fet forth ; he is called a Seal, a Witnefr,and an Earneft. Who bathfoaled us and given us the earnerl of his fpirit in our hearts. 2 COL 1. 22. and Eph. 1. 13,1q.. Bfter ye believed,ye were feald with the holy fpirit of pro wife. Men ufed to fet their mark and (tamp upon their wares, that they might own them for theirs. God fealeth by his fpirit, his clamp is his Image.. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into his image from glory to glory: So he is alto fet forth under the notion of .a Witnefs. Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it's felf beareth witnef . What is theWitnefs of the Spi- rit? Not an immediate revelation, or oracle in.your bofomes to tell you that you are Gods Children; but the renovation of the Soul, and the confiant operation of the holy Spirit, dwelling and working in you; this teftifieth to our confciences or Spirits, that God bath adopted us into his Family ; thus the Spirit is a Witnefs to the Scriptures. So he is fet forth as an Earnefl. 2 Cor. 5. 5. Now he that bath wrought us to this felf fame thing, is God, who bath alfò given us the earneri of his fpirit. An Earneft is part of the rum we have fo newhat of the Life, and peace, and joy of the Spirit now, which inableth us to wait with the more comfort , and affurance, for our future Bleffed. nefs. 2. From the congruity of this Evidence. 1. The coming down of the Holy ghofi upon him as the evidence of Gods love to Chri(l and the vifible üemonftration of his filiation and Sonthip, to the world. The Evidence of Gods love , Joh. 3.3.1. The Father loved the Son, and gave him the fpirit without meafrere, Now Chrift prayed, John 17.26. That the love wherewith thou haft loved me, may be in them; and v. 23. That the world may know that thou haft feet me, and haft loved them ar thou haft loved me. None will think in degree, therefore in kind; that God would 8 L 2 ma
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=